Means for continual dispensation of liquid at a controlled rate



R. N. VPARK MEANS FOR CONTINUAL DISPENSATION OF LIQUID AT A CONTROLLED RATE Fil-ed Dec. 19, 1939 Patented Oct. 7, 1941 `UNITED STATE MEANS Fon ooN'rINUAL DIsrENsA'rIoN' oF4 LIQUID AT A coNTRoLLED RATE Robert N. Park, Los Angeles,` Calif. Application December 19, 1939,4seria1Nq. 909,991

l s Claims. H(c1. 221-97) ,My invention relates to liquid dispensing devices with special reference to devices for supplying liquid continually at a relatively slow predetermined rate. My invention `may be employed forgvarious purposes in various fields and will be found applicable to many continuous manufacturing procedures. Animmediate use contemplated is to dispense reagents in flotation methods of treating ore, and I elect to direct the presjent; disclosure specically; to a device designed.

for Suchusa That the invention is applicable to other devices for other specific purposes will be obvious. l

Atypical flotation process requires continual delivery Nto a notation unit of liquidchemicals or reagents at a constant predetermined rate, a frate so low that it may beconveniently expressed in dropsper minute. Constant accuracynis required, neither too much nor tooV little of the liquidin .any unit f time- Thedevie must, them notonly be nherentlyauratein twperatim, butymust-also be designed to function accurately regardlessof` Vchanges f in the viscosity vofthe `liquid with changing temperature conditions. Such a device must be capable of operation .for days Without attentiom and must ,not require jhighlyskilled technicians foi-,lservice or repair. .I t must not `only be dependable and foolproof, but `mustalso be easily adjustable to vary the rate of fluid dispensation. ,A r I 4 .The general` object 0f my lwnterl is t0 meet the above requirements for such;` adevice in a Asimple but efficient construction. A further'obvject of. the preferred form of my invention is `to lprculide a device that operates at constant speed, l

but nevertheless adjustable in its rate of .output 1; The` invention is characterized bythe conceptionof 4continually releasing the liquid in .drops yin aprogressive manner overa dripping zone in repeated operating cycles andproviding liquid- .receiving means that is adjustable over the drippingzone to receive for dispensation any desired `.portion of the drippedliquid,` One `of the more Vspecific `objects of my invention is Vtoprovide `a suitable structural arrangement incorporating jtliis conception. I y, I 1 other objectsandadvantages of my invention will be apparentfromthe following detailed description, taken with the accompanying `draw- 4Inthe drawing, which-isto-be taken as illus- .trative only; Y y n r Fig. 1 isa longitudinal section takenas indicated bythe line I--l of l3 ig.2; i I

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken as indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; I Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the device;

and l f Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectionon an enlarged scale showing the construction of a dipper ele-v ment employed in the combination.

In the drawing, a tank, generally designated I0, constitutes `a supply reservoir containing a quantity of liquid II that is tolgbe dispensed by the apparatus. Thetank has a bottoinIZ, four side walls I3, and a rim I4. .A constant-level reservoir, generally'designated I5isprovided in combination with the tank I0 and `Amay be supported by a pair ofposts I'I in the yform of metal rods threaded into bosses` I ,8 in the tankbottom I2. This second reservoir I5 has anoverflow port I9 that drains into the tank IIl and has an arcuate bottom wall 20 immersed in the body! of supply liquid II. i

The preferred form I, ot i 7. my inventionfjincludes 4a countershaft ,22 mounted in some suitable manner `across both the tank lll'and the upper reservoir I5. In the particular construction shownin the drawing, abearing collar 2 3 secured rto the tank rin I4 by cap screws 24 on one side :of the tank contains a rollergbearing 25 for the countershaft 22,"and onthe other side of the tank a second bearingcollar '26, likewise secured bywcap vscrews 21, embraces a second roller bearing 28 for the countershaft. l ,l t

Keyed to the end ,of the countershaft 22 outside the tank I0 is ajsuitable pulley 30 driven by a belt 3l in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1.r Means forcontinually replenishing the upper reservoir.v I 5 from the tank IU lmay comprise two replenishing receptacles 32 carried respectively by two arms 33 that extenddiametrically `from a hub 34, the hub beingfkeyed to the countershaft v22. As the countershaft rotates in the normalkoperation of the apparatus, the two replenishing receptacles 32 move in an ,orbit that passes under the arcuate bottom wall 20 of the upper1 reservoir, they replenishing receptacles dipping quantitiesof liquid from the tank I0 vat the bottom of their orbit and emptying their Vcontents into the upper reservoir I5 in traversing the upper part of their orbit'. The

lreplenishing :rate provided by theucapacity of thetwo receptacles 32 ,enceedsthe maximum dispensing rate contemplated in the operation of the apparatus so thatthe upper reservoir VI5 is maintained 4at a constant-level determined by Athelocation .of the overiiow port I9;

Alsokeyed to the countershaftV 22 is arotary Ward btli progressively tltd and carried through space,l `they diiipitheir-eontents drop by drop 130 -lprgiessivlyf-acrs's'- what mayy loetermed a ff'drip'p "T member in the form of a disc 35 that is partially submerged in the liquid body 36 in the upper reservoir I5, the disc being adapted in some suitable manner to carry a variable number of receptacles or clippers 40. These dippers may 5 have, for example, a capacity of five to fteen drops of liquid. In the particular construction shown, each of the dippers 40 has a threaded stem 4 I screwed into an arm 42 and the; arm is mounted on the lfacepfthe disc 3 5l by means of l0 a screw 43 extending through a suitable countersunk bore 44 in the disc. four such arms 42 each with a single dipper and a fth arm 42a that islngertha'nstlieother, arms and has not only a dippe'liin the `s'airle'li relative position as the other dippersjlll; but also a second and outer dippera, as best shown in l Fig. 3. It will be noted that-ther'e-isan lexcess 'i' number of countersunk bores 44 so that addis); tional dipperfbearing arms may be added to the 20 dise ssissrequired Asihepdise 35- retenes ihefdifipeis eresiieees'sivelyliiiimeisee iii. the? upper liquid heey as and successively emerge with quantities of the iiguiulihai crisis .dress from the (uppers es 25 4the 'clippers movers the upper' portion ef their circular paths --Sinc the dippers" moving up- Afrom ,-thconstant-'devel -iservoirr I5 are l y y gloheorsomewhat less extent than the diain'eteiftheicircul'arpath'si Sincefall of the cnvenintlythe Efirmer dripping zone,` and the In one practice of my invention; th ratev at i0 *of my 'inventioirhwvery the procedurefor Y'is-leased eii the fietst at the -iiquia is-reieeged n50 from the successive di'iafiers-'in successive drops at progressively advaiced `points' a'fvzross the Y-two dripping zonsw vBy*'pr'ovifding adjustable liquid'- rec'eiving means -ih'dne-'nr both of the dripping zones-toV be effetivecver 'variable portions-Gibts 'the V1dripping Zone', I mayretrieve Variableporktions of thefdri'pp'd-'liquid for 'dispensing from theapparatus. i i f '1 g-fAny sui-table liquid-receiving arrangement maybelemployedrthat is Variableiin-'eiective exfigo tent relative to the dripping Zonebut the followingarrang'emnt will b'e found to have a number of `distinct advantages. -A fixed arm 41 attached-to the bearing collar '25 by suitable screws The drawing shows;

of the apron 55l ih 1;' it complte .second` drip apron 51 in the outer dripping zoneV is carried by a second arm 58 to rotate about the same aXis. When either of the two aprons 55 and 5 1 is in its "upperpost position, the position' ofthe apron 51 in Fig. 1, the apron comkpletely masks the underlying stationary apron ill4 in4 thatfdripping zone and causes al1 of the dripped liquid in the zone to flow downward over I"the outer surface of the movable apron into the upperglreservoir I5. Each of the aprons 55 and 51 is providedvwith a *pair of marginalribs or flanges- 55 vto pi-event the i liiuid thereon Vflowing laterallyfohtogth underlying' stationary drip when eiuiel effuie iwe-adiustab1e epreiis 55 and '.31l is etits'- ieweririest posities-i uiefpesitien the stationery! apron `5oin theeerrespen'aing drippingsene-se niet euseithe @ripped liquid vin that zene-within the renee `estrie stationery apron reaches-'the drain tieugnsz ao nwseut the dispensing tune 5-3=- Preferably-eacherthe movable aprons 55-'aid 51-i'ias-'a shoulder-50 on its inner side adapted to abut the rim f'the -drain trough .521 as ai stopte `limit dovhward -iiquiidfretiieved for dispensing through therese ierV mount-ing theiwe-eere'ns vse eiius tereteie about the exis er--tne eeun'iersiiefs 22., 1

provide a -Xed tube 6'5 siir'i-'ouhdingthe countershaft,` the tube being threaten-inte nietes-ring collar 26 and having an annulariflange-:BS atfits free end; "Ifhe-aprIi-ariifi 56 (3f`r I'ilrwiifir drip- 'ping @zone-is integral fwith-*af As [eve-15:1A that roiaiebiy embraces the iiiieaui'be 65 vanni is-inee mally releasably secured faygainstfrotation-f by a lsui-tablesetesoreiit6B;` in likeimanner the apron arm v5B of the outer dripping--zone -is integral With a second sleeve 69'that rotatably embraces the rst sleevel and is normally anchored 'against rotationl frelative thereto by ar suitable Aset-screw-TII't vA*washer 1i also A'e'Ii'ii'or-acihg the inner sleeve 61maylseparate the two 'apron a'ri'ris 56 and 58.-It'isapparent hat rotational-fadijustmen't 4'ef the inner sieeveti 'will Yvery the disposition 'of betnthe epiens fst and s1 simulifta-neously, while' adjustment-of the "outer 'sleeve -69 provides independent adjustment `for the apron 51, so that the two dripfaprhs 55 A51 maybe placed inialy relationship desired lwithin'their -rieneeefrfise v e' f i L #The A`operation apparatus-may -b'e Ireeuiiy understood `fromV the Aforegoing descriptionfisln 'afl-typical-installationlthe di's'c 351s rotated t a. constant speed of Yone complete rotati prlzii'i'irnte. In any case tira-speed slow errou'g-hto permit each of thi'pprs 4|)I tirainin completely within theperiod it traverses the cor- `by in a circularpath, said receptacle being mount- '."responding 4' drippingA zone, regardless of how i viscid the liquid may become in cool weather. For

example, if each'of the clippers 40 in the angular disposition shown inf Fig. 1 `carries ten` drops of liquid upward from the liquid body 36 and releases the lten drops of liquid successively as it passes across the inner dripping zone, there will be fifty drops per minute deposited in the inner dripping zone and all of the fifty drops will be received either on the fixed drip apron 5I] or on the auxiliary receiving surface 6l of the inner movable apron 55, the inner apron being in the disposition shown in Fig. 1. The outer dipper a, the only dipper in the outer dripping zone, also catches up ten drops of the liquid and distributes the ten drops in the course of one rotation of the disc 35. Since the outer movable apron 51 is in the uppermost position shown in Fig. 1, it completely masks the xed apron 50 in the outer dripping zone and diverts all ten drops from the outer dipper 40a away from the drain trough 52 back into the upper reservoir l5. With the described adjustment of the two aprons 55 and 51, then, the apparatus will dispense fty drops per minute through the dispensing tube 53.

If it is desired to raise the dispensing rate from fty or more up to sixty drops per minute, the movable apron 51 in the outer dripping zone is swung counter-clockwise from its uppermost position to unmask a suflicient portion of the underlying fixed drip apron 5E! to receive the desired number of additional drops from the outer dipper 40a. It is apparent that the outer drip apron 51 may be swung downward to cause any number of the ten drops from the outer dipper a to be carried into the drain trough 52. If the quantity dispensed per minute is to be increased by more than ten drops over the fifty drops per minute provided by the original setting, another dipper 40 will be added to operate in the inner dripping zone. If the number of drops dispensed per minute is to be decreased by more than ten from the original setting of fty drops per minute, either of two procedures may be followed. In the first procedure, one of the dippers 40 is removed from the disc, leaving only four clippers 40 operative in the inner dripping Zone and any further adjustment required is achieved by changing the disposition of the outer movable apron 51. In the alternate procedure for reducing the number of drops dispensed per minute, only the inner apron 55 is manipulated, the inner apron being swung upward or clockwise to reduce the effective area of liquid-receiving surfaces in the inner dripping zone.

While constant speed of operation is employed in the preferred form of my device, it does not characterize all forms. Obviously, in some practices of my invention, the speed of operation may be varied to vary the rate at which the liquid is dispensed.

The preferred form of my invention described in speciiic detail herein will suggest to those skilled in the art various changes, modifications, and substitutions that do not depart from my underlying concept, and I reserve the right to all such changes, modications, and substitutions that properly come within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising in combination: a liquid reservoir; a rotary carrier above said reservoir; at least one receptacle mounted on said carrier to be moved thereed at an angle to cause the receptacle to dip liquid from said reservoir at aA lower portion of its circular pathland to spill the liquid across a dripping zone extending ov'er a substantial range of the upper portionpf the circular` path, said carrier Vbeing adapted to rotate suiliciently slowly to cause the liquid to be discharged in discrete drops distributed progressively over the dripping zone; and means to receive and dispense the dripped liquid, said receiving means being adjustable with respect to its effective extent across said zone in the direction in which said drops are progressively distributed.

2. .An apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising in combination: a liquid reservoir; at least one receptacle for conveying liquid from said reservoir; means adapted to carry said receptacle in a closed path through successive cycles to cause the receptacle to dip liquid from said reservoir and to spill the liquid across a dripping zone, said carrying means operating at a slow rate to spill the liquid in discrete drops progressively spaced across said dripping zone; liquid-receiving means in said dripping zone adapted to direct liquid back to said reservoir; and liquid-receiving means in said zone a-dapted to direct liquid to a dispensing zone, at least one of said liquid-receiving means being adjustable along the line of the progressive spacing of said drops to vary the ratio of the numbers of said drops directed to said dispensing zone to the number of drops directed back to said reservoir.

3. An apparatus for dispensing liquid com- Drising in combination: a liquid reservoir; means adapted to drip successive quantities of liquid spaced progressively across a dripping zon-e; and means adjustable along the line of dripping progression across said dripping zone to divert a variable number of said spaced drops from said dripping `zone for dispensation.

4. An apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising in combination: a liquid reservoir; a rotary carrier; at least one receptacle on said carrier in xed relation thereto for movement in a circular path to dip liquid from said reservoir at a lower portion of said path and to distribute the dipped liquid at an upper portion of said path, said carrier rotating suflciently slowly to release the liquid in discrete drops spaced progressively along said upper portion of the path; and means adjustably movable under said upper portion of the circular path in a direction to intercept a varying number of said drops to vary the number of said drops dispensed.

5. An apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising in combination: a liquid reservoir; a rotary carrier; at least one receptacle on` said carrier in xed relation thereto for movement i-n a circular path to dip liquid from said reservoir at a lower portion of said path and to distribute the dipped liquid at an upper portion of said path, said carrier rotating suiiciently slowly to release the liquid in discrete drops spaced progressively along said upper portion of the path; and means within the space surrounded by said path under said upper portion of the path to dlvert some of said drops for dispensation, said means b'eing adjustable in the plane of said circular path to vary the number of said drops dis- Pensed.

An apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising in combination: a liquid reservoir; a rotary carrier above said reservoir; at least one 4 'azsass second dripping zone: means iro divert dripped liquid from said first dripping zone to a dispensing zone; and adjustable means to divert various portions of the dripped liquid from said 5 second dripping zone to a dispensing zone.

ROBERT N. PARK.V 

